Chemicals in EU Must Be Preregistered by End of 2008
April 26, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
The European Commission (EC) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued an alert reminding companies of their obligation to preregister their chemicals with ECHA between June 1 and Dec. 1, 2008.
The registration requirement is part of the new chemicals legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals), which becomes effective on June 1.
Tens of thousands of manufacturers or importers of chemicals will have to preregister chemicals currently in use (such as acids, metals, solvents, surfactants and glues) in 2008 if they want to continue manufacturing or importing them without interruption.
The preregistration process enables companies to share data on their chemicals and paves the way to enhanced knowledge about chemicals. This is a prerequisite for improved safety in the years to come. It is estimated that over 180,000 preregistration files will need to be submitted.
EC vice president Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, and Stravros Dimas, the EC environment commissioner, issued a statement saying, "REACH is the most ambitious chemicals legislation in the world.
"It will enable us to drastically increase our knowledge on the use of chemicals and to use them safely, thus protecting human health and the environment. REACH will make an invaluable contribution to safe management of chemicals in the EU. We will soon enter the crucial stage of preregistration, and we strongly encourage every manufacturer and importer of chemicals to preregister as soon as possible."
Geert Dancet, executive director of ECHA, said, "The countdown towards preregistration of chemical substances has started. ECHA has worked hard to provide guidance and tools that are easy to understand. Its multilingual web site and the REACH help desks are ready to assist companies in preregistering on-line."
The EC's alert was driven by the concern that some companies may still not be conscious of their obligations, either because they are not aware of the scope or the specific requirements or because they believe that REACH does not affect them, especially if they are not part of the chemicals sector. Therefore, the EC called upon member states' authorities, industry, third countries and other stakeholders to help to make the obligations known to all enterprises concerned.
What is REACH?
REACH is an EU regulation enacted in 2007 that requires manufacturers and importers of chemicals to systematically assess and manage the risks that such chemicals may pose to health and the environment. The first steps in this process are preregistration and registration.
What are preregistration and registration?
A preregistration consists of the submission of basic information to the ECHA: details of the company and the name of the chemical concerned (see Memo/08/240). Preregistration is free of charge.
Who should preregister?
All EU-based companies that manufacture chemicals in, or import chemical substances into, the EU should preregister if the quantities of the substance are one tonne or more per year.
Why should companies preregister?
Preregistration is needed if companies manufacturing or importing chemicals want to benefit from the extended registration deadlines that apply to most chemicals currently on the market. Preregistration allows companies to submit their complete registration dossiers by 2010, 2013 or 2018, depending on the case.
Companies that do not preregister a chemical cannot continue manufacturing or importing it after Dec. 1, 2008 until they make a full registration with ECHA. The preregistration process also enables companies to share data on the chemicals they register, thereby reducing their costs.
Registration with the ECHA is an obligation on manufacturers and importers of chemicals introduced by REACH. It requires that companies consolidate data regarding the health and environmental properties and risks of their chemicals; it also requires that companies be able to demonstrate that these chemicals can be used safely.
Key awareness-raising activities by the EC and ECHA
The importance of ongoing awareness-raising activities will be highlighted at a workshop to be held in Brussels on April 14, co-organised by the EC and ECHA. Participants will include industry and other stakeholders, member state authorities and third countries, all of whom have important roles to play in raising REACH awareness. The workshop will be web-streamed and a recorded version will be available after the event.
The workshop will explain the key elements of the preregistration and registration processes under REACH, focusing on practical aspects and examples. It will be followed by preregistration awareness actions linked to the formal opening of ECHA on June 3, 2008 and a stakeholder workshop in Helsinki this autumn.
For more information, see the web streaming information on the web site for the REACH Workshop and the European Chemicals Agency web site.
Source: European Commission (EC).